The present invention relates to line supports and, more particularly, to apparatus for assembling and forming cushioned line supports of the type that provide protection and routing support for tubes, pipes, wire bundles, cables, and the like.
A line support, as the expression is used herein, is a metal strap with an aperture at each end formed into a generally C-shape and designed to be fastened through the apertures into a closed loop around the line to be supported and to a structural support. For this purpose the strap is often provided with an elastomeric cushion cover, and one end of the strap is bent substantially at right angles to the remainder of the strap to allow the opposite end to lie flat against the structural support. Line supports of this kind are not new. Heretofore, they have been produced by hand with the aid of a few forming tools, such production being of various sizes to accommodate lines of different girth.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for automatically producing such line supports, starting with a partially formed strap, by assembling a length of cushion material thereover, and forming the cushioned strap into a generally C-shape configuration.
A further object is to provide such apparatus that is readily adjustable to fabricate cushioned straps of different sizes.